A Fresh Start
by Haberdashing
Summary: A Transcendence AU variant where the presence of Dippy Fresh drastically alters the timeline.
Nobody was quite sure how Dippy Fresh had escaped the disintegrating Mabeland and arrived in the real world, physicality intact. Even Dippy Fresh himself professed ignorance, saying only that he was glad to be around to support his sister. (Dipper tried not to let on how much that bothered him, bit his tongue rather than retort that Mabel was _his_ sister, that it was _his_ job to be there for her, not the job of some obnoxious "hip" replacement who never should have existed to begin with.) All anybody knew was that shortly after popping Mabel's bubble, while she and the gang were taking in the scenes of devastation around them, Dippy Fresh caught up with them and talked his way into tagging along.

When the others retreated to the Mystery Shack, Dippy Fresh bounced off the unicorn-hair barrier- for he was Bill's creation, as much as he was Mabel's, created by the demon's power and the girl's imagination. While the others reunited with the ragtag band of misfits that had found shelter and a temporary peace within the Shack's confines, he remained outside, unable to join.

Dippy Fresh stuck around, though, much to Dipper's chagrin. After some heated debate, he was even let in on the plan to transform the Mystery Shack, to weaponize the very magic that was working to keep Dippy Fresh out. Dippy Fresh became their designated lookout, warning the others of approaching eyebats or weirdness waves, unafraid as he was of either one. He was, Dipper begrudgingly accepted, useful to have around, however personally irritating his existence and his presence may be.

When the rest of the residents of Gravity Falls prepared for battle, Dippy Fresh configured his skateboard into a hoverboard, readying himself to join the fight on the town's behalf. During the battle, he was little more than a distraction- unusual origin aside, he was still just a brightly-colored, noodle-armed twelve-year-old on a flying skateboard- but at times, such a distraction was exactly what the townsfolk of Gravity Falls needed.

Dippy Fresh entered the Fearamid with the rest of the rescue squad, no escape chute or parachute needed for the one with his own flying machine. (Dipper gritted his teeth at the thought of dealing with him even further, but he couldn't deny that at a time like this, they could use all the help they could get.) He hung back during much of the rescuing, and during the circle's completion- whatever significance the power of the circle had, Dippy Fresh was _not_ a part of it, and he didn't intrude where his help was of no use. Perhaps that was how he escaped Bill's watchful eye, managed to hide from the one who boasted that he could see all, the demon ignorant of the presence of one of his own creations.

Dipper wasn't in the room when it happened. One moment he was running from Bill with Mabel, and the next, a rainbow wave flew through their line of sight, like the weirdness waves that permeated Weirdmageddon but even brighter. When he and Mabel finally found their way back to the main room, all he could see was Dippy Fresh grappling with a rapidly transforming Bill before the two disappeared at once in a flash of blinding light.

(Dipper could swear that, just before the light grew so bright that he had to close his eyes, he could hear a voice both like and unlike his own shout "For Mabel!")

When he opened his eyes, it was all over. The town was- well, it wasn't quite back to normal, or even Gravity Falls' version of normal, but Bill's compatriots and the rift in dimensions were gone, and with them went the worst of Weirdmageddon's strangeness. There were, however, a few more magical creatures running around than before, and as news from the outside world trickled in, the residents of Gravity Falls learned that the events of Weirdmageddon had affected more than their small town. But life went on.

Dippy Fresh, like the rest of Bill's creations, was nowhere to be seen.

Mabel started up a search party, for some reason that Dipper couldn't quite fathom. They had seen him disappear, and was it really a surprise that Bill had taken him down in the end, or that he'd disappeared along with the one who created him? And- though he'd never say it, especially not to Mabel- Dipper wondered why losing Dippy Fresh mattered to her so much. They'd known each other for a few days, and yes, he'd helped them defend Gravity Falls, but Dippy Fresh was still... well, an anomaly, one of Bill's tricks, just like the eyebats or the rest of Mabeland. And maybe that was unkind of Dipper to think, but the thought lingered nonetheless.

The search for Dippy Fresh was given up after a half-hearted effort that lasted a day and a half and turned up absolutely nothing. Dipper and Mabel spent much of what time they had left in Gravity Falls exploring the woods, eager to see what new magic was contained within their depths.

It was while the twins were on one of these expeditions, deep in the forest following a trail of mysterious hoofprints, that Dipper heard it.

"Flip-a-dip-dip!"

It was little more than a whisper, barely loud enough that Dipper could make out the words, but he knew. Somehow, deep in his bones, he knew.

"Mabel, did you hear that?"

Mabel cocked her head. "Hear what?"

"...for a second there, I thought I heard Dippy Fresh."

"Really?" Mabel's eyes glistened in what little light had made its way past the thick branches above. "Where?"

"I don't know, maybe around-" Dipper waved his hand in front of him and to the left, though pinpointing the direction was little more than a guess on his part. "There?"

"C'mon, let's go check it out!"

"Mabel-"

Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm and practically dragged him in the direction where he had pointed, her grip strong enough that Dipper half-expected it to leave a mark.

"Okay- Mabel, I get it, you can let go- can you at least slow down so we don't trip over a root or something?"

Mabel shot Dipper a smile, slightly loosened her grip, and kept running.

A minute later and they had reached a wide, circular clearing... and in the middle of it was a floating Dippy Fresh, missing his skateboard but otherwise looking utterly unharmed, as if the events that had appeared to destroy him were nothing but a bad dream.

Dippy Fresh looked right at the twins and grinned widely.

"Wiggity-wiggity-what's up, dude-bros?"

Dipper skidded to a halt and glanced over at Mabel, uncertain of how to respond, but the look she gave him was one of confusion rather than recognition as she let go of him.

"Why'd you stop, Dip-dops?"

Dippy Fresh floated closer. Dipper couldn't bring himself to look away, but Mabel's gaze still flitted from one spot to another, ignoring the hovering Dippy Fresh entirely.

Dipper sighed and buried his face in his hands.

Perhaps the worst was yet to come after all.


End file.
